Internal-combustion engine



June 24, 1930' w, R W 1',766,900

NTERNAL COMBUST ION ENGINE Filed April 9, 1927 Earl gvwwntoz Wat. TEE E.Enzswuuz.

61cm nu Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER R.GRISWOLD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY,OF DETROIT, MICHIGA N, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN IN TERNAL-COMBUSTIONENGINE Application filed April 9,

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and particularlytomeans for ventilating the crankcases of suchengines.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide means whereby vaporand fumes formed in or entering the engine crankcase may be drawntherefrom and expelled from the engine.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means whereby a draughtof atmospheric air may be passed through the engine crankcase, withoutthe use of moving parts such as fans or pumps, and without theexpenditure of any of the useful power of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to pro-' vide a crankcase ventilatingsystem which shall assist in cooling and silencing the engine exhaust.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a crankcaseventilating system in which the temperature of the ventilating air maybe varied by the engine operator.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part ofthis specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section and partially brokenaway, of a portion of an internal combustion engine embodying thisinvention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in section.

Many engines are now being built of a type having a crankcase the bottomof which is closed to form a reservoir for the lubricating oil used inthe engine. It is well known that the lubricating qualities of such oilare frequently much impaired by .dilution with liquid fuel, which workspast the pistons into the engine crankcase. When the engine isoperating, the space in the crankcase above the level of the lubricatingoil become filled with fumes containin vaporizedfuel diluent, finelydivided oil, ex austgases which have leaked past the pistons, and watervapor. It is well understood that the quality of the lubricant isgreatly improved when these fumes and vapors are removed from thecrankcase, and it has been previously proposed to remove them byexnosing the crank- 1927. Serial No. 182,258.

case to the depression-of the engine intake, usually through the airinlet of the carburetor thereof. In this way the fumes are drawn intothe engine and the combustible fuel element thereof is burned, whichresults in a saving of this fuel. At the same time, however, the fuelcharge in the cylinders is largely diluted by the considerable volume ofincombustible gases, which adversely affects the power developed by theengine.

It has also been proposed to ventilate the crankcase by means of a fanor pump, a portion of the discharge of which is used to exert an ejectoraction on the crankcase. Such devices, however, require for theiroperation considerable of the useful power of the engine, and because ofthe low velocity of the air stream thus obtained, the ejector does notoperate at high efliciency.

In the present invention is provided a device in which the crankcase isventilated, and the fumes ejected from the engine, by means operablefrom the engine exhaust, whereby all the benefits of such ventilation.as regards the engine lubricant are obtained without absorbing any ofthe useful power of the engine, or causing anyreduction in said poweroutput.

Referring to the drawing, at 10 is shown an internal combustion engineincluding a crankcase 11 on which is mounted a cylinder block 12provided with the usual cylinder head 13.- The lower portion of thecrankcase 11 is provided with a cover or pan 14 forming a reservoir orsump 16 adapted to contain lubricating'oil for the engine. This oil ispumped from the oil reservoir 16 by a suitable pump (not shown) anddistributed .through the usual oil conduits to the engine bearings andother points requiring lubrication, in the well known manner. Oil fromthese hearings is returned by gravity, draining into the crankcase andbeing collected in the sump 16. I

The crankcase 11 is adapted to house a crankshaft 17, mounted insuitable bearings 18 therein, as well as a cam shaft and other parts(not shown). It is provided, preferably near its forward end, with afiller openm ing 19 through which lubricant can be supplied to thereservoir 16 by means to be hereinafter described.

The engine is provided with an exhaust manifold 26, which is incommunication with the engine exhaust orts and which is adapted toreceive the ex aust from the several engine cylinders and conduct it, asby means of an exhaust pipe 27, to the atmosphere. The engine is alsoprovided with a fuel feeding system, an ignition system, and a coolingsystem, which may be of any desired construction, but as these form nopart of the present invention it is not necessary to describe them indetail.

It will be understood that the cranks of the crankshaft 17 are actuatedby suitable connecting rods 28 from pistons 29, operable in the enginecylinders 30 in the well known manner. During the operation of theengine, unvaporized fuel frequently works past the pistons 29 and iscollected in the oil reservoir 16 in greater or less quantities,depending upon the efliciency of the fuel feeding system, thetemperature of the engine, and various other factors which are wellunderstood by those skilled in this art.

Such liquid fuel, when collected in sufiicient quantities, dilutes thelubricating oil in the reservoir 16 and seriously impairs the lubricatinvalve thereof, this constituting the socalle oil dilution which is oneof the serious problems occurring in connection with the use of the heavfuels now obtainable. During operation 0 the engine the temperature inthe crankcase arises to a considerable degree, sufficient to vaporize alarge amount of this hydrocarbon diluent, thus forming a vapor which isintimately mixed with the mist of finely divided oil thrown off from therapidly rotating crankshaft bearings. This vaporous mixture alsofrequently contains a considerable quantity of water vapor, which is oneof the by-products of combustion in the combustion chambers and which,together with carbon dioxide and other products of combustion, workspast the pistons 29 and enters the crankcase 11. This mixture formsheavy fumes or smoke which fills the crankcase 11 above the oil leveltherein, and it has been recognized, as stated above, that the eneralerformance of the engine is consi erably improved when such fumes areremoved from the crankcase.

To this end, this invention rovides a device for ventilating the crancase; that is, for removing the fumes therefrom and sub-. stitutingatmospheric air in their place. The

exhaust pipe 27, at its junction with the exhaust manifold 26, isprovided with an enlarged portion 32 forming a chamber 33, which has areduced portion or throat 34 and a flange 36. The flange 36 is adaptedfor attachment to a flange 37 formed on the exhaust manifold 26 near theend thereof, the flanges 36 and 37 being provided with suitable packing38 to form a gas tight joint therebetween.

The end of the manifold 26 is extended in the form of a nozzle 39disposed within the chamber 33 and having its orifice 41 disposedsubhaust pipe thereof in the form of a series of spaced puffs or regionsof dense gases, separated by regions of rarefications in wh1ch fluidsmay be entrained. After leaving the nozzle orifice 41 the exhaust gasesare expanded in the pipe 27 and passed outwardly to the atmosphere inthe usual way.

The housing 32 is provided on one side with an opening 42 through whichpro ects a pipe or connection 43 terminating at an orifice 44 within thesuction chamber 33, and communicating at its other end with the upperportion of the crankcase 11, as indicated at 46, preferably at or nearthe end thereof remote from the breather 19. It will be seen that breason of this connection the depression ormed in the suction chamber 33is communicated to the crankcase 11, so that the fumes and vaporstherein w1ll be drawn through this lpipe 43 into the suctlon chamber 33and expe ed by the exhaust et at the orifice 41 into the exhaust pipe27. In this way the fumes in the upper portlon of the crankcase arecontinually exhausted therefrom and are e'ected from the englne, theirplace being ta en by atmospheric air drawn in through the opening 19,thus creating a draught of atmospheric air through e the crankcase. Atthe same time, since expelled fumes are cool relatively to the exhaustgases, a considerable silencing effect 1s exerted on the exhaust.

The orifice 44 at the end of the suction pipe 43 may be provided, ifdesired, with a nonreturn valve 47, which may be of any desiredconstruction, to prevent a reverse flow of exhaust gases through thesuction pipe 43 into the crankcase should the chamber 33 be exposed to apositive pressure, as in the event of a back-fire in the exhaust Pipe27.

As the energy in the jet 0 exhaust gases at the nozzle orifice 41 cannotbe recovered in the engine, it follows that no useful power of theengine is required to operate this ventilating ejector.

The air intake for the ventilation system comprises a housing 51 havingoppositely disposed branch arms or assa es. One of these arms 52 isconnecte as y means of a pipe or conduit 53, to the crankcase 11. Asshown, the pipe 53 is threaded 1n the breather opening 19. The arm 54,which 1s scope of the invention bodiment, or otherwise than by the termsofshown opposite and in alinement with the arm 52, is adapted to receivea funnel 55, which is provided with a cap 56 screwed to or otherwisesecured thereon in such a way as to provide a substantially air-tightcover therefor. These arms 52 and 54, the pipe 53 and the funnel 21,constitute the oil filler opening leading into the crankcase 11.

Disposed at right angles to the arms 52 and 54 is shown a pair of arms57 and 58 by means of which atmospheric air is admitted into the housing51 and thence through the arm 52 and pipe 53 into the crankcase 11. Thearm 57 may be rovided, if desired, with an air scoop or unnel 59 adaptedto readily pass cold air directly through into the housing 51, and thisfunnel is preferably directed forwardly of the engine. The oppositelydisposed arm 58 is connected as by a conduit 61 with a hood 62surrounding and spaced from the exhaust manifold 26, in such a way as toconstitute a stove or heater for all air drawn into the conduit 61. Asstructures of this nature are well known in the art, further descriptionthereof is unnecessary.

The arms or passages 57 and 58 are provided with valves 63 and 64respectively, which may be manually operable if desired, the operatingarms of which are connected by a link 66 in such a way that when thevalve 63 is closed the valve 64 is opened, and vice versa. If desired,the link 66, and the associated valves 63 and 64 may be controlled bythe operator of the vehicle in an convenient manner, as by areach rod 6connected to a handle 68 on the instrument board 69 of the engine.

It will be readily seen that the passage 57 is adapted to admlt air atatmospheric temperature to the crankcase sage 52 and pipe 53, and thatthe passage 58 is adapted to admit to the crankcase air which has beenpreheated by the exhaust manifold in the stove 62. The relative amountsof hot and cold air thus admitted may be readily proportioned by theengine operator throug suitable manipulation of the valves 63 and 64, sothat the temperature of the air in the crankcase 11 may be, to someextent, under his control.

For example, in

starting up an engine from cold it will be i usually preferably to admitair through the passage 58 by opening the valve 64, until the engineshall have reached its proper temperature, at which time the valve 64may be closed, the valve 63 opened, and cold air admitted from theatmosphere.

While one illustrated embodiment has been described, it is not myintention to limit the to that particular cmthe appended claims.

Having thus describedthe invention, what through the pasis claimed anddesired to be ters Patent is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand an exhaust pipe, of suction means operable by the engine exhaust towithdraw gases and secured by Let- 'vapors from the crankcase, abreather for the means to admit air to said crankcase, and.

means to vary the temperature of said air.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand an exhaust pipe, of a suction means operated by the engine exhaustto Withdraw gases and vapors from the crankcase, a breather for thecrankcase, means for admitting air at atmospheric temperature to thebreather, means for admitting heated air to the breather and means forregulating the air admitting means concomitantly and successively.

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand an exhaust pipe, of a suction means operated by the engine exhaustto withdraw gases and vapors from the crankcase, a breather for thecrankcase, a valve for admitting air at atmospheric pressure to thebreather and a valve for admitting heated air to the breather,

said valves operatlng concomitantly and successively.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a crankcaseand an exhaust pipe, of suction means operated by the engine exhaust towithdraw gases and vapors from the crankcase, of a-breather for thecrankcase, means for supplying air at atmospheric temperature to thebreather,

ting air at atmospheric temperature to the breather and means foradmitting heated air to the breather at one and the same time andsuccessively.

8. The combination with an internal combustion engine having acrankcase, of. a

breather for the crankcase, a valve for admitting air at atmospherictemperature to the breather and a valve for admitting heated air to thebreather.

9. The combination with an internal combustion engine having acrankcase, of a breather for the crankcase, a valve for admitting air atatmospheric temperature to the breather and a valve for admitting heatedair to the breather, said valves operating concomitantly andsuccessively.

10. The combination with an internal combustion engine having acrankcase, of a breather for the crankcase, means for su plying air atatmospheric temperature to t e breather, means for supplying heated airto the breather, means for controlling the proportions of air atatmospheric temperature and at heated temperature and means foractuating the control means.

11. The combination with an internal combustion engine having acrankcase, of a breather for the crankcase, a closure for the breather,means for supplying air at atmospheric temperature to the breather,means for supplying air at heated temperature to the breather,interconnected valves for roportioning and controlling the supply 0 airand a linkage for actuatin the valves.

In testimony whereof I a x my signature.

WALTER R. GRISWOLD.

